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Saturday, 22 February 2014

On the 23rd anniversary of the shameful Kunan Poshpora incident, SSSC demands justice for the victims. In the incident, about 100 women were raped on the same night by soldiers of the Rajputana Rifles in the Kunan and Poshpora village in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir. It has been 23 years but still there is no justice. None of the guilty officers have been prosecuted.

Save Sharmila Solidarity Campaign(SSSC), a nation-wide campaign in support of Irom Sharmila and against AFSPA, demands that justice be given to the victims. SSSC believes that all those who believe in humanity and justice must raise voice against this inhuman and shameful act by the army and demand the repealing of laws that enable and protect the guilty.

We feel that the Armed Forces Special Powers Act that is imposed in North-East and Jammu & Kashmir and gives unrestrained powers to the armed forces equips the soldier to unleash inhumanity. This incident which was not the first and the last is a result of this. AFSPA not only grants unrestrained powers but also does not have any provision for check and transparency. So inspite of massive protest and fact finding reports, no security personal got punished by any court due to impunity provided to them under Section 7 of AFSPA (Armed Forces Special Powers Act).

We consider it to be against justice and humanity. Therefore, we, hereby, condemn the incident once again and demand that:

Culprits of Kunan Poshpora must be punished

Immediate implementation of Justice Verma Recommendation to end Impunity of security personals for the cases of 'rape'

AFSPA must be repealed from J&K and North East

Save Sharmila Solidarity Campaign will write letters to all members of parliament to raise voice for Repeal AFSPA.

Saturday, 1 February 2014

On 1st February 2014, at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, voices were raised against the closure of Pathribal fake encounter case of J&K. The protest was jointly organised by Save Sharmila Solidarity Campaign, All India Students' Association (AISA), Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU), Jamia Students' Solidarity Forum, New Socialist Initiative (NSI) and People's Campaign against Politics of Terror. The protest was supported by several other organisations and human rights' activists.

In the incident, in 2000, the army had killed five innocent civilians in the village of Pathribal. They had claimed them to be the "militants" who were responsible for the Chattisinghpora incident that had claimed the lives of 36 sikhs. However, it was establish ed by the CBI that this was a fake encounter. The "militants" were local innocent civilians. This case had gone to the Supreme Court which in 2012 had ordered the army to either allow the trial in the civilian court or conduct a court martial for the five guilty officers. The Army had opted for the latter. However, two years after, the army has decided to close the case on "lack of evidence". It has been alleged that the investigation was rigged. Another thing to be noted is that the army had opposed this case and argued that no case can be registered against its officers under the veil of AFSPA as it provides impunity and that it requires prior sanction of central government to prosecute as per Section 7 of AFSPA.

The organisers and supporters of the protest condemns this action of the army.

Ravi Nitesh, one of the organisers of the protest and a core member of Save Sharmila Solidarity Campaign argued that in this case, the army had overruled the CBI and the Supreme Court. Doing so, it has challenged the republic, the democracy. The army should not have an upper-hand. Being a part of the Indian department of governance, the army must respect the investigation and instructions of central agencies as well as of judiciary.

Anubhuti of JNUSU had talked about the suppression of human rights under AFSPA. Because of the legal impunity that it granted to the armed forces under AFSPA, there have been several other incidents of human rights' violation in the states of Jammu & Kashmir and Northeast India.

Activists of AISA, Shehla Rashid, V Arun Kumar and others, had also challenged AFSPA on democratic and humanitarian grounds. They argued this incident is not one of its kind. There are several reported and unreported everyday stories of human rights' violation in Jammu and Kashmir & North-east. These incidents also raise a question on the ideals of democracy.

Ameeque Jamei of People's Campaign against politics of terror had said that this and all other incidents of human rights' violation are a breach of the ideals of democracy, equality, truth and justice. The case should be re-opened.

Devika Mittal, a student and a core member of Save Sharmila Solidarity Campaign, had argued that AFSPA-imposed violence presents a contradiction. On one hand, the Indian state lays claims on Kashmir and North-east but on the other hand, doesn't treat them as other citizens. Infact, they are not even treated as human beings.

The protest had seen
participation from Kashmiris living in Delhi. Some of them like Haseeb Mustafa
Alvi and Anees had also shared their experience of living under AFSPA. Haseeb
had stated, "it is not surprising that this case was closed by the
army".

Seram Rojesh, a research student
of DU from Manipur, had also talked about the need to challenged the foundation of AFSPA. He
had talked about how AFSPA has been caught in the blame game.

The organisers will also be
submitting a memorandum to the Prime Minister and the Defence Minister with the
following demands: